This invention relates generally to electrical plug removal devices that may be used to remove electrical plugs from an electrical outlet and more specifically to a new and novel electrical plug removal device for use with electrical plugs having an electrical cord, a cord cap or plug and electrically conductive spaced apart blades or prongs. The new and novel electrical plug removal device is designed to be used with a variety of electrical plugs having different types of cord caps and different shapes, configurations and numbers of electrically conductive spaced apart blades or prongs and particularly designed to surely and easily remove such electrical plugs from electrical outlets or receptacles.
There are many different styles and configurations of electrical plugs or cord caps. However, there are certain basic elements common to electrical plugs. Specifically, electrical plugs have an electrical cord entering a rear portion of a cord cap body and electrically conductive spaced apart blades or prongs protruding from a front portion of the cord cap body. The cord cap body may also have cupped areas or other gripping areas to aid a person in removing an electrical plug from an electrical outlet or receptacle.
Some electrical outfits or receptacles often grip the electrically conductive spaced apart blades of an electrical plug so tightly that it is difficult to remove the electrical plug from the outlet. It is especially difficult for the elderly, handicapped and others who may have disabilities or a nervous or muscular disease to easily remove an electrical plug from an electrical outlet.
Additionally, some larger types of electrical plugs or cord caps do not have cupped areas and the like which may aid in the removal of an electrical plug from an electrical outlet making it difficult for anyone to easily remove an electrical plug from an outlet. For example, many electrical plugs or cord caps found on appliances such as clothes dryers, washing machines, electric ranges and the like are constructed so the electrical cord enters the cord cap body at an angle thereby allowing the cord cap to fit behind the appliance without requiring the appliance to protrude unnecessarily from a wall. In this situation, the cord cap body is often so slender that cupped areas or other gripping areas can not be placed on the slender cord cap body. Similarly, if cupped areas or other gripping areas are present on these types of cord cap bodies, the slender nature of the cord cap body renders them ineffective.
Thus, many people remove an electrical plug from an electrical outlet by simply taking hold of the electrical cord and pulling on the electrical cord to remove the electrical plug from the electrical outlet. This action produces stress on the electrical cord itself and on the connections inside the cord cap body where the internal wires of the electrical cord are joined with the electrically conductive spaced apart blades or prongs of the electrical plug or cord cap. Removing an electrical plug from an electrical outlet in this manner may result in damage to the insulation or internal wires of the electrical cord causing the electrical device to which the electrical cord is attached to function improperly or not at all. Additionally, damage may be caused to the internal electrical connections inside the cord cap body.
The resulting damage produced by removing an electrical plug in the above described manner can be so severe that the electrical cord becomes frayed resulting in an unsafe condition that can potentially lead to electric shock or electrocution of the person removing an electrical plug in this manner. A frayed or broken electrical cord may also cause an electrical fire. If the internal electrical connections are damaged or broken, the electrical cord may pull free from the cord cap body resulting in electric shock or electrocution of the person attempting to remove an electrical plug in this manner. Even if a person is not affected by the exposed electrical wires, the possibility of an electrical fire remains and is in fact increased.